"Fan." My first words when I woke up from my restless slumber. I continued staring at the motionless ceiling fan, responsible for my current state. My Kolhapuri Chadar was wet and prickly, the accomplice being an unholy child of my sweat and monsoon humidity. I rolled over and grabbed my glasses below the bed gingerly.

Once I was back on my feet I stretched my arms and cracked my neck. I looked at the crumpled pink tulip bedsheet heaped near the headrest. Somehow I had managed to strip my mattress bare in my sleep. I thought about dropping it into the washing machine but then decided against it. Too lazy to do that I guess.

I made my way to the dining table in our living room. Why was it there? Well, we never had time to get together and eat like a normal family. But in a city whose economy runs on IT, this is the norm. My slender fingers tapped against the black glass of the dining table, a tad disappointed that the only thing I had been left with on the name of breakfast was lukewarm coffee and a jar of raw almonds. My aunt was definitely late for her lab, considering her 'sloppy' attempt at the morning meal. She must have turned off the fan too.

I decided to ignore the almonds and brought the rim of the ceramic cup to my chaffed lips. By the time the cup was half empty, I had planted myself under the awnings of my little balcony. The four-year-old artificial grass stabbed my soles, but it was a scant bother compared to my growling stomach.

"Ishan! Get your bag... Ishu, not now." I heard the frantic sounds of a housewife below me. Somehow, the twins were also late - as always. Ishu was pointing at her kite dangling from a branch of a bonsai banyan tree. It waved gently, unfazed by the five-floor drop below it. Unlike us, the D'Souzas had decided to extend their balcony. Unfortunately, it was midway in construction, only a brave line of potted plants and her mom's permission were keeping little Ishu away from a dangerous accident.

Judging by their proactivity the clock had already ticked over 8:30 am. I clasped the railing with my free hand, thinking about my day ahead. I was one of the millions of engineering aspirants from my country, enrolled in a dummy school, and attending coaching classes, even on Sundays.

By now my cup was empty, I turned around multiple thoughts racing through my head. I suddenly realized a change in the texture of the grass. Something smooth and flat was beneath my foot. My eyes slowly rolled downwards, wishing it wasn't an unpleasant business. A glossy envelope, sky blue in color, stared back at me. I pick it up, sandwiched between my index and middle finger. No address, no name, just a plain old envelope. Without further thought, I tore open the flap and a rectangular plastic card of the same color fell out. The side facing me was boring and monochromatic, I flip it over and discovered the sharp golden letters printed on it.

OBJECTIVE Kill the intern before the Sunday quiz PENALTY ON FAILURE TO COMPLY A close friend of the participant would be inflicted with a grievous wound or death

"What the hell is this?" My first thoughts upon reading those words were, 'vague.' The instructions or the semblance of that, were clear and unclear at the same time. There were a lot of things that could be open to interpretation, like what defines a 'grievous injury', 'which Sunday is it saying', is there even someone close enough, I can call a friend,' "but I am an introvert." My thoughts spilled out of my mouth. Also, I wasn't familiar with any interns at that time.

I shook my head. I am overthinking things.

It looked like the handiwork of a child but an unsettling feeling lingered on my skin. Before I realized it my palms had gone cold and sweaty. Suddenly, a strong blast of wind hit me and tore the card right from my already loosened grip. I immediately turned and got back under solid roof, knowing that the unnerving object had drifted away to the horizon.

DAY 1

"Radhe Bhaiya, can you get my tie done?"

Tiny hands tugged my bleached pajamas. "You want your tie done?!" I was still staring at the kids playing cricket, but I had already recognized the source of the voice. There was only one living being who called me by my real name, or at least a part of my real name, in the entire world and that was Ishan. My elbows rested on the railing, leaning my back leisurely I scanned the little dude with messy hair and an undone tie tangled around his neck.

I crouched and carefully untangled the odd cloth. "Don't you have a tie in any other color? I mean, you yourself said you don't like orange, right?"

He nodded vigorously, "its not for me, it's for Ishu."

"For Ishu, why does she need it?"

"It is for her school." Taciturn as always huh, giving more details wouldn't hurt you.

Despite being sparse with words, I had figured out what it was for. Teacher's Day. The day when you dress up as a teacher and teach your juniors for half the school day. I remembered how I got the honor of cosplaying my principal in fourth grade. It comes as no surprise, but I was just bored I had literally nothing to do other than visiting classes and bullying 'teachers'.

"There you go, all done," I said as I finished the knot. All he had to do was tug it upwards to tighten the noose... or loop around the neck. I ruffled his smooth auburn hair and went back to my favorite position - both elbows resting and a relaxed back. I glanced over my shoulder to look at the cricket match which had long devolved into a fight. Ishan mumbled a weak 'thank you' and joined me in watching the spectacle.

"What are you guys doing?"

Huh. "Hi, Ishu." This time it took me the help of Ishan's overexcited 'hi' to trace the person.

Ishu was looking at us with a pout and a hand resting on her waist. Her other hand was struggling to hold a leaky watering can, clearly too heavy for her.

"No, no, nothing." I immediately tried to dispel her anger with an awkward smile and a few words but nothing substantial left my mouth. She was under the impression, that we were playing behind her back and hadn't invited her.

She gave a curt 'humph' and continued watering her plants. "Hey, you are not allowed. Did you ask your parents?" I knew she was angry with me, but that was no excuse for her to place herself so close to danger. I knew she did it all the time but I was still worried. Unfortunately, she kept pretending to be deaf.

"Ishu I got your tie ready for you," Ishan said as he pressed his face into a gap in the railing.

Somehow, that managed to bring her back to normal. She immediately dropped her can and shouted with excited eyes. "Please, please show me." I didn't really understand what was so special about it, but I wasn't an expert on kids.

Ishan took a few steps back, removing her tie cautiously, worried about disturbing the knot too much. He winded up his throwing arm and called out loudly, "Ishu, catch."

He overshot. The tie went over my head. Ishu took a step back, my eyes widened with horror as I realized the mistake.

The tie got closer to her arms raised towards the twilight sky, her smile widened more, "Ishu..." I screamed.

She took another step back and stumbled, "stooop," her radiant face morphed into that of confusion and terror as she lost her balance... and fell to her demise.

DAY 2

I fiddled with my phone with wet quivering fingers. My mind had gone numb, It felt as if a wide gaping hole had opened up and it was slowly consuming me inside-out. Clouds had decided to grace the parched earth with a gift -- heavy rain. On the coast, it doesn't rain cats and dogs, it rains horses and cows. My mini router was down and I was doused in water from head to toe. I couldn't get a cab. Asking a roadside autorickshaw was an option, but didn't have the money or the heart to bargain. I tried to wipe my hands but realized my hoodie was wet too. Currently, one of the temporary shacks made for construction workers was my impromptu shelter.

I had been walking for thirty minutes straight, sometimes wading through ankle-deep water. My home was only a couple of minutes away but... I couldn't bring myself to see Ishan's face. His sister had miraculously survived, although barely. Right now, she was on a hospital bed... in a coma, surrounded by grim, downcast, and worried faces, maybe her mother was crying, her father counseling her.

Stop. Stop having these stupid thoughts, Robin. Nothing's going to change. I groaned, my mind was almost at a breaking point.

It was all your fault, for a stupid tie for some stupid kids' event. Why didn't you stop her? Why didn't you stop him?

Man up! No use fretting over an accident. You can't control fate, see the silver lining. She survived, right? She has everyone supporting her, everyone cheering for her recovery. What about Ishan? Do you think he doesn't have any guilt?

Crap! Ishan was staying with my family since his parents were busy taking care of his sister. If this was how I felt then, I couldn't even imagine how dreadful he felt and there was no one to help him. I had to be brave, I had to face reality; for his sake.

My head stopped hurting as both halves came to unison. The gluttonous hole shrunk and my mind reverted to normalcy. "Achoo!" Shit! Getting sick was the last thing I wanted. Wait, I should have called my aunt in the first place. I would have to wait much longer but it was better than getting sick. Well, can't do much about split milk.

I pocketed my phone, wiped my specs against the inside of my hoodie, and mounted it back on the bridge of my nose.

A cold sensation ran across my neck. Not the annoying sickly coldness of the rain, but a cold cruel one of a metal blade. Someone was behind me, close enough that I could feel calm deliberate hot breaths cascading against my nape. Still, the body heat was non-existent, it was as if the person behind me had almost completely erased his presence.

"Radheshyam aka Robin. Welcome, to the Game of Fate. Make sure, I am not the last person you hear those words from."